Reed-organ



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. H. W. METCALP.

REED ORGAN. No. 363,531. Patented May 2.4, 1887. l

b KS C Y f' I' l uw? Q) v.l *WIM d m w 'g i l ,H 1li l l l um n UH I W @NIW lll k1* Trp IJ- u J (No Model.) 2 siem-sheet 2. H. W. MBTCALP.

REED ORGAN. I v N0..363,531. Patented May 2 4, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE lHENRY XV. METCALF, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. Y

REED-OMAN.

SPECIFICATION .forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,531, dated May 24, 1887.

(No modeLl To'aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. METCALF, a citizen vof the United States, residing at Vorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of MassachusettsL. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reed-Organs and I do hereby declare thaty the following is a f be hereinafter' fully described.

Heretofore in organ-actions, as usually constructed, the reed`valves have been located under the keys and operated by a pitman running from the under side of the keys, pivoted at their rear ends to the valves. The valves have heretofore been located below the reeds.

They therefore have to close against the action of the suction bellows, requiring a strong spring to keep them closed; and in order to get at the valves it has been necessary to remove the whole of the organ-action from the top ofthe bellows.

In order to level the keys properly, it has been necessary to file oftl the ends of the pitmen, and it often happens that the end of a pitman is filed off too much, requiring the substitution of a new pitman.

In my improved organ-action I do away entirely with the use of pitmen heretofore employed for connecting the keys with the reedvalves. I locate said valves over the reeds, instead of under them, as has been done heretofore. The valves are thus easy of access, requiring only the removal of the swell-box. I open the reed-valves by means of -keys pivoted at their center acting directly on saidvalves through regulating-buttons. 'The valves are closed by means of a spring, in the usual manner; but the valves being placed above the reeds, as before stated, instead of below them, are closed in the direction of the actionof the suction-bellows and not against the action thereof, as heretofore. By means of the adinstable buttons upon 'the rear ends of the keys,or upon the front ends of the val'ves`,con

necting the keys with the reed-valves, the properleveling'of the keys can be easily attained.

Figure l of the drawings represents a vertical cross-section through my improved organaction, detached from the other parts of an organ, as the same forms no part of my present invention; and Fig. 2 represents the key and valve detached, showing a modification of my invention, the regulating-button beingsecured upon the front end of the valve, instead of on the rear end of the key, as illustrated in Figi.

'Ihe key and reed valve are shown in elevation, the full lines representing the saine in their normal position and the dotted lines their active position, as will be hereinafter fully described. f g

In the accompanying drawings, the part marked A represents the top board of the bellows upon which are supported thckey-frame B and thewind-chest O. Upon the windchest O are supported the reed-chambers D and the reed-boards E, constructed in any usual manner, having the openings a therein, ard supporting the reeds b, which are placed in a vertical position. Open spaces c extend upon the outside of said reeds to allow of the free passage of air to sound the reeds, drawn struction, connect said wind-chest C with the C reed-chambers D. v

The open spaces c, upon the outside of the reeds b, are closed at their upper ends by means of avalve, F, of the usual construction, extending over the same. Said valve F is pivoted at its rear end upon a small pin, g. A pin, h, extending through a slot at its forward end, prevents any sidewise motion of said valve, and felt i, secu red upon the under side thereof, prevents any leakage or passage of air when the valve is closed.

A spring, j, of the ordinary construction, tends to keep the valveF closed. The action of the suction-bellows also acts with said spring, and not against it, as is the case in organ-ac tions, as heretofore constructeda IOO A swell-box, G, provided with a eovenlc, of

land bears upon said button.

any ordinary construction and operation, is located and supported over the valves F, inclosing the same. The front ends thereof pro- `ject out through an opening, r, in the front side of the swell-box G, as shown in the drawings. If preferred, the front ends of the valves F need not project through the front side of the swell-box G, but may be entirely inclosed within said swell-box, and the back portion of the namcboard may form the front portion of the swell-box.

Upon the key-frame B is supported the key H, pivoted at its center, or approximate center, in this instance, by means of a pin, Z, extending up from the frame B. A pin, m, extending` up from the front part of the frame l5, tits into a hole made in the under side of the key H, at its front end, in the usual manner, to prevent any sidewise motion of said key. Felt a is secured upon thetop of the key-trame B in the usual manner.

A regulating button or knob, I, is attached to the key H at its rear end, in this instance, by means of a screw, o, entering into the key` H and into the button I. Said button I is provided with felt o upon its upper end, and is arranged to come in direct communication with thc front end ofthe valve F,'which rests The spring j, pressing upon the top of the valve F, keeps the front end of the valve in contact with the button I, and at the same time tends to hold the key H in its normal position. (Shown by full lines in the drawings.) The front half of the key I-I, being lnade heavier than the rear half, prevents the rear end from dropping down too far; and, if desired, a stop, o", may be provided,upon which the end of the key II will rest; but this is not necessary, except in the case of the black keys, in which the rear end will be heavier than the front end, the pivot being nearer the frontend of the key. The regulating button or screw I, instead of being attached to the rear end of the key H, as above described,and illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, lnay be secured upon the front end of the valve F, as shown in Fig. 2, the manner of operation of the key and valve being substantially the same in each case. The object ofthe button I, which forms a means of direct connection between the key H and valve F, so that theI latter may be operated di rectl y by the key without the intervention of any pitman, usually employed, is to allow of the relative posit-ions of the several keys of the key-board being properly beveled by simply turning up or down the button I.

The operation of my improved organaction is very simple, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the above description, in connection with the drawings,and is as follows: The front end of the key H, being depressed to sound the corresponding reed or reeds, will take the position shown by dotted lines, and the valve F, controlling the airpassages to the reeds, will at the same time be raised, as shown b v dotted lines, (the button I pressing against the under side of the front end ot' said valve,) allowing the passage of air, as shown by the arrows, to sound the reeds drawn in by the suction-bellows, in thc ordinary manner, the mutes f having been first opened by means of mechanism ol' any usual construction and operation.

I have shown in the drawings two sets of reeds; but oneor moresetsmay beused,in which case 1t will only be necessary to vary the length of the valve F. The'manncr of construction and arrangement of the wind-chest, the reedchambers, and other parts connected therewith may be varied from that shown in the drawings without departing from the principle of my invention, which consists, essentially, in the novel construction of the keys to operate the reed-valves, located above the reeds, by direct communication therewith without the intervention of pitmeu or levers, and in the manner as hereinbefore fully described and set forth.

It will be readily seen that the regulatingbuttons I may be located upon the under side of the keys, instead of upon the upper side, as shown, and engage the reed-valves located above the reeds by having the ends of the valves extend ont and rest upon the top sur 'face of the buttons, the screw o iitting into the slot formed in the end of the valve F in the usual manner, to receive the pin 7L.

Instead ot' the button I on the serew-shank o, shown and described, a plain screw or equivalent device may be used l`or regulating the proper level ol" the keys.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combinatiomwith the key II and the regulating-button I, secured upon the rear end of said key, and adapted to engage directly with the free end ot the ree'dyalve to open the same, of the reed-valve F, provided with a spring, j, aud hinged at one end, and having its free end extend out beyond the rear end of the key to be acted upon by the same, in the manner substantially as set forth.

2. rlhe combination, with the key H andthe regulating-button I, secured upon the rear end of said key for the purposestatcd, ol' the reedvalve F, located within the swell-box and hinged at its rear end, and having its forward free end extend out beyond the rear end of the key H and adapted to engage therewith, i'or the purpose stated, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the key H and regulating-button I, secured upon its rear end, ot' the reed-valve F, adapted to engage with and operated by the button I, and located within the swell-box G, and said swell-box G and the reed-boards E, for holding the reeds in a vertical position below the reed-valves, substantially as shown and described.

ISO

4.. An organ-action consisting of key-levers,

a reed-chest having its cells on top, a set of horizontal valves covering the reed-cells and extending over tbeside of the reedehest, and

eseries of direct-noting lift pins or buttons vertically adjustable interposed between the rear upper ends of the keys andthe under side of lthe forward projecting ends of the Valves,

substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the key H; of the valve F, hinged at one end and provided With 

